NASA-backed SSPICY mission to test autonomous inspection of defunct satellites
The SSPICY mission, launched on Oct. 1, will send Starfish Space’s Otter spacecraft to autonomously approach up to four retired U.S. satellites in low-Earth orbit for inspection.
On Oct. 1, a NASA-supported launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base carried Starfish Space’s Otter 24C spacecraft as part of the Small Spacecraft Propulsion and Inspection Capability (SSPICY) mission. Over the next months the craft will travel to low-Earth-orbit objects—up to four retired U.S. satellites or rocket bodies—and approach each within a few hundred yards. Using autonomous guidance, computer-vision sensors and an electric propulsion system, Otter will navigate, gather data on spin rate, attitude and surface health, and test an articulating robotic boom that points thrusters for fine orbital adjustments.
The mission, set to start inspections in early 2027, will not dock with the targets but is designed to validate an integrated suite of technologies needed for future autonomous repair, servicing, or safe de-orbiting of space debris. Funding comes from NASA’s Small Spacecraft and Distributed Systems program within the Research and Technology Mission Directorate, with additional support from SBIR and STTR programs awarded to Starfish Space. Successful demonstration could pave the way for more sustainable operations in increasingly crowded low-Earth orbit.
